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A single Pan-African payroll team configures and runs your payroll — consistent service, wherever your people are.
Popay Payroll · Cameroon PopayPayroll
Payroll in Cameroon, handled the local way.
Statutory contributions, compliant payslips, local contracts and leave — configured to local law inside our own engine.
One engine, all of Africa. Cameroon payroll rules run natively inside our own gross-to-net engine — monitored and kept current by our Pan-African team, not stitched from third-party aggregators.
Talk to our African payroll team No commitment — a working conversation about your team in Cameroon.
CM
CM · payroll across the continent
Understand HR in Cameroon
Everything Cameroon payroll asks of an employer — in one place.
The full local picture for Cameroon: statutory contributions and the rules our engine runs natively — maintained by our Pan-African legislation team.
01 · At a glance
Cameroon payroll, by the numbers
The fixed parameters every Cameroon payroll run starts from.
CAPITAL
Yaoundé (Douala is the economic hub)
CURRENCY
Central African CFA Franc (XAF, FCFA)
Official language
French and English
STATUTORY AUTHORITIES
DGI — Direction Générale des Impôts (income tax) · CNPS — Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale (social security)
INCOME TAX YEAR
1 January – 31 December (calendar year)
PAYROLL CYCLE
Monthly
MONTHLY STATUTORY DEADLINE
DIPE (Déclaration des Impôts sur le Personnel Employé) before the 15th of the following month · CNPS declaration before the 15th of the following month · annual DSF (Déclaration Statistique et Fiscale)
Minimum wage
40 hours/week (non-agricultural) or 48 hours/week (agricultural); the general principle is 8 hours/day, though an equivalence decree allows up to 10 hours/day or more for specific sectors (e.g. security/guarding, hospitality)
Ordinary Working Week
40 hours/week (non-agricultural) or 48 hours/week (agricultural); the general principle is 8 hours/day, though an equivalence decree allows up to 10 hours/day or more for specific sectors (e.g. security/guarding, hospitality)
NOTICE PERIOD
Varies by employee category and, to a lesser extent, by sector
MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE
60 years
MAIN LABOUR LAW
Labour Code
02 · Statutory obligations & contributions
Mandatory contributions in Cameroon
Statutory contributions declared by the employer, each scheme with its own rate,
| Contribution | Employer | Employee | Basis & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNPS — Old age, invalidity & death pension (PVID | 4.2% | 4.2% | Contributable salary, capped at FCFA 750,000/month |
| CNPS — Family benefits | 7% | 0% | Same base as above. Reduced to 5.65% for the agricultural sector and domestic staff in some sub-categories |
| CNPS — Occupational risk | 1.75% - 5% | 0% | Rate depends on the employer's risk classification. Pharmacy and Tertiary II 1.75%–2.5% |
| CFC — Crédit Foncier du Cameroun | 1.5% | 1% | On gross salary, no ceiling |
| FNE — Fonds National de l'Emploi | 1% | 0% | No ceiling |
| CAC — Centimes Additionnels Communaux | 10% of the IRPP due | Municipal surtax, collected together with the IRPP | |
| RAV — Redevance Audiovisuelle | FCFA 750 – 13,000/month | Banded by salary level | |
| TDL — Taxe de Développement Local | Variable | Banded by remuneration level |
03 · Income Tax Brackets (IRPP)
The tax brackets withheld for DGI
Income tax is calculated on taxable income using the applicable progressive tax rates and allowances.
Annual taxable income (FCFA)
- 0 – 2,000,000
- 10%
- 2,000,001 – 3,000,000
- 15%
- 3,000,001 – 5,000,000
- 25%
- Above 5,000,000
- 35%
Standard deductions applied before the scale
- Flat professional expenses allowance
- 30% of gross salary less the employee's CNPS (PVID) contribution
- Fixed annual abatement
- FCFA 500,000, deducted from annual net global income
- Employee social security contribution (CNPS)
- Deductible from gross salary before the professional expenses allowance is applied
04 · Employment contracts & other terms
Employment contracts & termination
The contract types and the formalities that frame them
Contract types
- CDI
- Permanent
- CDD
- Fixed term
- Other contracts
- Casual/seasonal (extra staff, e.g. in hospitality)
Notice period
- Under 1 year of service
- 15 days to 1 month
- 1–5 years
- 1–2 months
- over 5 years
- 2–3 months
Notice period
- Under 1 year of service
- 1 month
- 1–5 years
- 2 months
- over 5 years
- 3 months
Notice period
- Under 1 year of service
- 1 month
- 1–5 years
- 3 months
- over 5 years
- 4 months
Severance pay
- Hotels / Restaurants / Off-shore / Catering
- Yrs 1–5: 30% · 6–10: 35% · 11–15: 45% · 16–20: 50% · 21+: 55%
- Pharmacy
- Yrs 1–5: 20% · 6–10: 30% · 11–15: 40% · 16–20: 45% · 21+: 50%
- Secondary Sector (industry)
- Yrs 1–5: 20% · 6–10: 25% · 11–15: 30% · 16–20: 35% · 21+: 40%
- Tertiary II (Commerce)
- Yrs 1–5: 30% · 6–10: 35% · 11–15: 45% · 16–20: 50% · 21+: 55%
End-of-year bonus
- Not mandatory
- Where paid, typically equivalent to 1 month's salary (13th month)
Final settlement
- Due immediately on termination
- Outstanding salary, compensation for any unused annual leave, severance pay where applicable, and notice pay if notice is not worked
05 · Leave & employee rights
Statutory minimums under the Labour Code
The law sets the floor; contracts and collective agreements can add to it. Below are the statutory minimums your accruals must track.
Annual leave
1.5 or 2 working days per month of service after 12 months of service, depending on sector (18 or 24 working days/year)
Sick leave
No fixed statutory number of days, varying by sector/collective agreement.
Maternity leave
14 weeks (4 weeks before + 10 weeks after confinement), extendable up to 20 weeks on certified medical complications
Paternity leave
Not a distinct statutory entitlement under the Labour Code.
Special/family-event leave
Varies by sector and event (marriage, bereavement, birth, baptism) — typically 1–10 days per event, within an overall annual cap in some sectors (e.g. 10–12 days/year)
06 · Unions & collective agreements
The unions and the framework that shape pay
Affiliated unions negotiate wage scales and union dues that your payroll must calculate, deduct and remit. A poorly applied collective agreement can lead to a dispute before the relevant Court.
CSTC (Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Cameroun)
The largest confederation by workplace representation (around one-third of delegates nationally); affiliated to the ITUC and OATUU. Dominant voice in national social dialogue and sector-level bargaining.
CSAC (Confédération des Syndicats Autonomes du Cameroun)
The second-largest confederation by representation. Represents a significant share of workplace delegates in collective bargaining.
USLC (Union des Syndicats Libres du Cameroun)
Recognised national confederation; affiliated to the ITUC and OATUU. Active in sector-level dialogue
Native African payroll — one accountable partner.
Compliant payslips
Statutory contributions, income tax and net pay computed and presented on a payslip built for local requirements.
We own the gross-to-net engine
Local rules are configured natively inside our engine, not stitched from third-party aggregators — one accountable system, one contract.
Talk to our Pan-African payroll team.
Tell us about your team in Cameroon and we'll map your options — payroll, contracts and local compliance — plainly and without commitment.
Cameroon payroll, answered
Do you run Cameroon payroll on your own engine?
Yes. Cameroon statutory rules are configured natively inside our own gross-to-net engine and maintained by our Pan-African legislation team.
Can you handle payslips and leave locally?
Yes — compliant payslips and statutory leave are all part of the service.
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